All About the Oil Cleansing Method

Everyone wants better skin, and the beauty industry knows it.

In fact, they’ve made billions making us all feel so insecure about our blackheads and pimples that we reach for their chemical-laden products at every breakout. Yet, thousands of us still suffer from chronic skin problems, no matter how many expensive products we try. Sure, the best products might work for a few weeks, but in the long term, our skin still looks tired, grimy and as blemish-filled as before.

Why is this? Shouldn’t these powerful products make a difference? What’s wrong with the message the skin care industry is telling us?

As it turns out, a lot.

Commercial skin products are made to achieve a single goal- draining your skin of natural oils. These products cleanse your skin like a dish detergent cleans your dishes; they react with oil and strip it off.

There’s just one problem. Oil isn’t the skin danger you think it is.

In fact, your skin needs oil to remain healthy. Stripping it off with harsh chemicals leaves it dry and tight, pushing your body to compensate by producing even more than before. It’s a vicious cycle that wrecks the natural moisture balance of your skin.

To make matters worse, commercial skin products usually contain artificial fragrances that irritate skin. Check the labels on your bottles; odds are good even your “unscented” products have some potentially damaging fragrances in them.

The truth is simple. Commercial face cleansers will often leave your skin more damaged than before. To truly achieve clean, breakout-free skin, you need to shift your entire skincare mindset. Your face needs to be treated with products that are toxin free, non-harmful and naturally found on your skin.

To cleanse your face of oil, you need to wash it with oil.

What is the Oil Cleansing Method?

“Oil?!” You might be thinking. “That’s the last thing I want to put on my face!”.

It’s not. Hear us out.

The basic idea of the oil cleansing method is that by using oil to massage your face after a long, dirt filled day, you will dissolve the impurity-filled oil already on your skin. By washing this oil off with a hot towel, you will fully open your pores, remove all the ingrained grime and leave your face clean, healthy and glowing.

How the Oil Cleansing Method Works

If you are like most people, this probably sounds too good to be true. Let’s look at the claims more deeply to see for sure.

The crucial factor for the oil cleanse method is that oil dissolves other oil. Our bodies use oils as a natural lubricant, and the body is always trying to keep its levels at an natural equilibrium. This is why harsh skin products can leave your skin more oily than ever.

In contrast, the oil cleansing method deep cleans your skin while balancing your body’s oil production at the same time. By using natural oils in ideal combinations for your skin type, you will make your skin healthier and more moisturized than with any soap or detergent cleaner.

Top Benefits of using the Oil Cleansing Method

A few of the many skin benefits of the oil cleansing method are listed below:

No Harsh Chemicals: soaps and detergent skin cleaners strip your face and leave it dry, causing it to work at warp speed to replace the lost oils, leaving you with splotchy skin, blackheads and itchy irritation. Not so with an oil-based cleanser.

All Natural Ingredients: If you wouldn’t eat it, why would you put it on your skin? With regular cosmetic products, you never quite know what you are putting on your skin, but you can be sure that not all the ingredients are beneficial. In contrast, oils are plant based and all natural, ensuring that the outside of your body stays as healthy as the inside.

You’ll Save Money: No longer will you have to pay extravagant prices for tiny cosmetic bottles; you can buy most facial-friendly oils right at the supermarket for far cheaper than anything you’ll find in the beauty aisle. And because a bottle of oil goes a long way, you won’t have to restock often.

Which Oil is Best?

For maximum effectiveness, most people combine two oils together for their facial cleanses.

The primary oil that is used is castor oil. Not only is castor oil cleansing, it also has anti-inflammatory properties that keep your skin healthy.

Because castor oil is such a thick, potent oil, you’ll want to dilute it with a thinner oil so that it doesn’t overpower your skin. You have a lot of freedom in choosing what the second oil will be, but olive oil, coconut oil, and sunflower seed oil are top choices.

The ratio that you mix these oils together depends on the natural oil level of your face. As a rule of thumb, you can follow these guidelines for how to create the right oil blend for your face.

How To Do an Oil Cleanse

First, the best time to do an oil cleanse is right before bed. You want to remove a day’s worth of pollution, grime and makeup from your face so that you can go to sleep feeling purified and clean.

To start your cleanse, pour your oil blend into your hands (about a quarter sized amount) and rub them together to warm it. Then, gently massage the oil into your completely dry face. Take your time and really work the oil into the depths of your skin using circular motions for a minute or two. Patience is key if you truly want to dissolve the dirty oils from your face.

Once your skin feels saturated, soak a clean washcloth in steamy hot water. The hotter the water, the easier it will be for your pores to soften and open up. Hold this washcloth over your face until it cools, using it to gently wipe the excess oil away. Don’t scrub your face, as doing so will simply cause irritation.

Remove the washcloth and pay attention to how your face feels. If it’s tight, you can blend a small amount of oil into your damp skin to moisturize it. No other moisturizer should be needed. Now, gaze in the mirror and appreciate your sparkling clean face!

Most people find that the right oil balance for their skin is about twice a week to begin with. Following the technique too often might dry out your skin, though some people do well with daily treatments. Allow your skin time to adjust and you should be able to do this treatment each day.

Troubleshooting Advice

The first time isn’t always the charm with the oil cleanse method. If something feels wrong, look through these tips to make some changes.

Skin doesn’t transform overnight. In fact, many people go through an adjustment period where their skin is actually worse for several weeks before it gets better. Your skin might actually get more oily as it goes through a detox period as impurities are drawn out. It often takes several oil massages for your skin to really improve, so stick with it!

Keep experimenting if you don’t aren’t satisfied with your results after a few weeks. Switch up the type or ratios of oil you use and change the time you spend massaging it into your face.

Quality ingredients matter, so be sure to invest in top quality. Buy oils that are cold pressed and made from organic ingredients for the best results.

The oil cleansing face cleaning method is an all-natural way to cleanse your skin of impurities and control breakouts. Once you experience the advantages of cleaning your face with oil, you’ll never want to go back to harsh chemical-laden products again!

Where to Buy Oils for the Oil Cleaning Method

High-quality oils suitable for the oil cleansing method are available from the following:

Hi Natalie! I meant to say “Twice a week to begin with. ” I’ve updated the post to reflect that. Thanks so much for asking.

Most people can use this on a daily basis. Some may need time to adjust, which is why I recommend starting out at twice a week and building up to daily. You can use any other cleanser you wish on other days.

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